Crime & Safety

Hoboken Police: 'Mayor Zimmer Gotta Go!'

Police officers rallied outside of City Hall Wednesday afternoon, urging the mayor to rethink the 18 lay offs and 19 demotions in the department.

Roughly 200 people—police officers as well as members of the public— marched down Washington Street on Wednesday afternoon in a rally organized by the Police Benevolence Associaiton, as part of the ongoing fight to make Mayor Dawn Zimmer re-think the lay offs in the police department. 

Blowing whistles, holding signs and wearing yellow "Stop the Zimmer Police Lay Offs" T-shirts, the policemen and their supporters chanted "Stop the Police Lay Offs, Keep Hoboken Safe!" as they walked to Seventh Street and back. 

Hoboken PBA President Vince Lombardi said he met with members of the Administration on Wednesday, before the rally. Although he declined to comment on what exactly was discussed, he did say that the mayor had not changed her mind in the meantime and is still planning to lay off the 18 officers and demote 19 others.

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The protestors ended in front of city hall, where the chants turned personal, when the crowd started chanting: "Hey Ho, Hey Ho, Mayor Zimmer gotta go" and "Recall Zimmer!" 

Around 6 p.m. a bus full of Hoboken seniors stopped in front of City Hall—the seniors were also wearing the yellow shirts—who were greeted with loud applause.

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"Mayor Zimmer in your office," Lombardi said through a megaphone in front of City Hall, "these are the residents of Hoboken, listen to them." Lombardi also said the city could expect a "crime hurricane wave," if the lay offs were to happen.

Zimmer was indeed in her office at that time. The mayor walked out of the front door of City Hall around 7:15 p.m.

Ed Drishti, president of the Hoboken Superior Police Officers Association, also grabbed the megaphone in front of city hall, asking the mayor to "stop the lay offs from happening."

Speakers called Zimmer and members of her council majority "anti-police," after which the crowd started yelling "vote down Lenz!" (Councilman Michael Lenz is running for Fourth Ward in a special election in November.) When Lenz walked through the crowd just before 7 p.m., he was met with a "boo" from the remainder of the crowd, of whom most had gotten into City Hall to attend the Council meeting. 

The cops and their supporters decided to to speak on a resolution that was introduced at the last meeting by Councilwoman Beth Mason to rescind the lay offs. 

At Wednesday's meeting, Council President Carol Marsh limited the public portion to three hours. Police Chief Anthony Falco also attended the meeting, and called his police officers to order, asking them remain calm and act professional. 

Earlier in the week, Lombardi asked for a change of venue, in order to fit the 500 people he expected. Although happy with the turn out, Drishti said that number wasn't reached. Marsh declined to move the meeting, but opened up an extra room in the basement of City Hall for those residents who wouldn't fit in council chambers. 

Former Councilwoman-at-Large Teri LaBruno spoke up during the public portion, turning the Council majority. "It's on you five," she said. "Go home and ask your children," LaBruno said. "Are you going to be safer with 17 less police officers in the street?"

Stay tuned to Hoboken Patch for updates on the meeting.


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